Paddle boarding looks mellow from the shore—but once you’re on the water, you’re dealing with wind, currents, boat traffic, and sometimes invisible hazards like toxic algae blooms. The good news? Most paddle boarding accidents are preventable with a bit of knowledge and preparation.

Use these paddle boarding safety tips to avoid common dangers, protect your health, and make every session feel more relaxed and fun.

The fastest way to turn a mellow paddle into an emergency is to go out without the right safety gear.

Non-negotiables for every session:

• USCG-approved PFD (life jacket)
  Even strong swimmers can get into trouble if they’re cold, tired, injured, or separated from their board. A properly fitted PFD is your backup plan when everything else goes wrong.

• Leash appropriate to conditions

  • Flatwater / lake / ocean outside surf: coiled leash at the ankle or calf.

  • River / moving water: waist / quick-release leash only, so you can detach quickly if you get tangled.
    Your paddle board is your biggest flotation device—staying connected to it is huge for safety.

• Basic first aid kit (for groups or longer paddles)
  Toss a compact kit in a dry bag: bandages, antiseptic wipes, blister care, pain reliever, and any personal meds. It weighs almost nothing and is a lifesaver when someone gets cut on rocks, fins, or shoreline debris.

Nice-to-have but smart:

• Whistle (often legally required)

• High-visibility clothing or hat

• Headlamp or light if there’s any chance of paddling near dusk

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Even on a “nice” day, wind and weather can shut down your session—or turn it into a rescue.

Key weather checks before you go:

• Wind speed and direction

  • Beginner sweet spot: under ~8–10 mph.

  • Remember: a tailwind out = a brutal headwind back. Plan your route so you paddle into the wind first.

• Storms & lightning
  If thunderstorms are in the forecast, don’t go. If you hear thunder while on the water, head in immediately—standing on a board with a carbon paddle is not the time to gamble.

• Air & water temperature
  Cold water is sneaky. Even on a warm fall or spring day, cold water can quickly sap your strength (cold shock and hypothermia). Dress for the water, not just the air.

Paddle boarding looks easy from Instagram. Reality: good technique and basic skills matter a lot for safety.

Foundational skills you should have dialed:

• Mounting and remounting your board
  Practice climbing back on in chest-deep water until it feels boringly easy.

• Basic strokes and turning

  • Forward stroke (efficient, long reach, using your core)

  • Sweep stroke (turning)

  • Backward stroke (braking and quick turns)

• Falling safely
  Always aim to fall away from the board, not onto the deck or rail. Teach kids and beginner friends this explicitly.

If you’ve never had a lesson, even a single 60–90 minute class will leapfrog your skill level and help you avoid a lot of bad habits and fatigue.

You’re on reflective water, often for hours. That’s a UV and dehydration double-whammy.

Protect yourself with:

• Reef-safe sunscreen on face, neck, ears, arms, and legs

• UPF clothing / rash guard to reduce how much skin you need to sunscreen

• Wide-brimmed hat and polarized sunglasses to cut glare and protect eyes

• Plenty of water (more than you think—especially on hot, windless days)

Headache, dizziness, or nausea are early warning signs of heat exhaustion. When in doubt, take a break, hydrate, and cool off.

The surface might look calm, but what’s happening underneath can be a different story.

Watch out for:

• Strong currents and tides
  Rivers, inlets, and coastal areas with strong tidal flow can quietly pull you off course—or make paddling back nearly impossible.

• Boat wakes and chop
  In busy areas, you’re sharing the water with motorboats and PWC. Cross wakes at a slight angle with soft knees, and stay well outside marked channels when you can.

• Shallow hazards
  Rocks, rebar, submerged logs, and old docks can all be lurking just below the surface. In clear water, keep an eye on the bottom; in murky water, assume there are surprises and go slow.

Before exploring a new area, look up local notes on currents, tides, and common hazards—or ask a local shop or rental livery. Ten minutes of intel can save you a lot of drama.

Yes, SUP can be meditative—but that doesn’t mean you can go on full autopilot.

Stay switched on by:

• Scanning around you regularly for boats, swimmers, other SUPers, and obstacles

• Avoiding headphones in busy or shared waterways

• Giving big motorized craft lots of room—assume they might not see you

• Keeping group spacing reasonable so boards don’t collide if someone falls

Think of yourself as a slow, small vessel in a big world: you’re often the one who needs to dodge, yield, and anticipate.

This one’s less obvious—but increasingly important. Toxic algae blooms (often harmful cyanobacteria) can turn a beautiful lake into a health hazard.

Why they’re a problem:

Some algae produce toxins that can cause:

• Skin rashes and irritation

• Eye and throat irritation

• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea if swallowed

• More serious complications in kids, immunocompromised people, and pets

Dogs are especially vulnerable because they lick their fur after swimming.

Signs you might be dealing with a harmful bloom:

• Water that looks like pea soup, paint, or spilled antifreeze

• Bright green, blue-green, or reddish scum, mats, or streaks on the surface

• Unusually strong musty or rotten odor

• Dead fish or other wildlife nearby

If the water looks sketchy or gross, skip it. No session is worth a health crisis.

Best practices around algae blooms:

• Check local advisories
  Many lakes and reservoirs post signage or online alerts when blooms are present.

• Avoid contact with suspicious water
  Don’t paddle, swim, or let kids/dogs play in discolored or scummy areas.

• Cover up
  If you must paddle in a lake with borderline conditions, wear leggings, a long-sleeve top, and water shoes to reduce skin exposure—and avoid falling in.

• Rinse everything after
  Rinse your skin, your board, your leash, and your PFD with clean water as soon as you’re off the lake.

If you or your dog experience symptoms after paddling in questionable water, call a doctor or vet and mention possible algae exposure.

Even a quick paddle can go sideways if gear fails, the wind kicks up, or someone gets hurt.

Before you launch, make sure:

• Someone on land knows where you’re paddling and when you plan to be back

• Your phone is in a waterproof case or dry bag and charged

• You have a simple plan for “If conditions get worse, we will: ________”

For more remote or shoulder-season paddles, consider going with at least one other competent paddler. Solo adventures are awesome—but they demand more conservative decisions.

None of these paddle boarding dangers are meant to scare you off the water. The goal is the opposite: to help you feel confident enough to explore more, go farther, and enjoy every session—without unnecessary risk.

With a solid PFD and leash setup, a quick check of weather and water conditions, some basic skills, and awareness of hazards like toxic algae blooms, you’ll be miles ahead of the average paddler. Add in a dependable, high-quality board (like your Glide inflatables or hard boards), and you’ve stacked the deck in your favor.

Safety isn’t the buzzkill—it’s what lets you relax, breathe, and actually enjoy the magic of being out on the water.